Still image from “DeepDream VR Experiments” 2016 by Jessica Brillhart, Doug Fritz, Mike Tyka, Nick Kadner with support from Google’s Artists and Machine Intelligence Program

“Himalayas (detail)” Neural net, Lasercut wood by Mike Tyka

“Moth Generator” by KR Pipkin and Loren Schmidt

This exhibition explores new tools born of artificial intelligence research that artists are using to make unique work. Neural network art is a tool for artistic embellishment and creation. In it’s most common visual form, it combines the imagery of one image and the style of another to create a third hybrid image. Neural Networks are a biologically inspired form of computing which, unlike classical computer algorithms, aren’t programmed directly by human operators but instead learn from large amount of example data. Other augmented intelligence programs like ‘bots,’ are used to respond in creative ways to human inquiries. Jessica Brillhart will present her virtual reality video, Deep Dream VR. Visitors will be able to experience the video in a Virtual Reality rig. Mario Klingemann will present two experimental music videos, the visuals of which are generated from the sound itself by a neural network, as well as an interactive feedback loops generating work in the present moment. Mike Tyka presents a number of prints including two from his series, Portraits of Imaginary People, which trained a neural network to imagine and then depict portraits of people who don’t exist. KR Pipkin and Loren Schmidt present their bot, Moth Generator, which creates thousands of imaginary Lepidoptera, including their imaginary Linnaean name, when one tweets to it.

In addition, part of the exhibition will be given over to a experimental process whereby Boston Cyberarts has invited a group of Boston area artists and musicians to explore the tools that Google’s Magenta project,

headed by Doug Eck, has generated with machine learning. As the Magenta website says, “We don’t know what artists and musicians will do with these new tools, but we’re excited to find out.” As the Boston artists generate work we will put it up and display it throughout the exhibition and hope to have a special performance as well of sound and music that comes out of this experimental real time process.

This exhibition is presented as part of a citywide partnership of arts and educational institutions organized to recognize the outsized role greater Boston has played in the history and development of technology. The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston has initiated this partnership to link concurrent exhibitions and programs related to the themes of the exhibition Art in the Age of the Internet, 1989 to Today, on view at the ICA from February 7–May 20, 2018. Information on all the exhibitions and programs can be found at: aiai.icaboston.org